Happy Ever After
by casualty-tam96
Summary: based on what i want to happen after s27e21 with the preview of next week as inspiration. focused on sam & tom. zoe & dylan.
1. Chapter 1

Chaos. Dr Hanna looked around the ED and all she could see was chaos. The new locum, Ash – an old friend of Charlie's, was mad, literally, and he wouldn't listen to a word Zoe said, she started to realize the frustration Nick must have felt towards her on several occasions of her defiance.

"Dr Hanna you're needed in resus, RTA 5 minutes." Linda said as she walked past heading back towards resus with Robyn in tow. Zoe sighed; she was shattered she needed caffeine.

As Zoe went to get some coffee she walked past her office and sighed again as she saw the paper work piling high on her desk, she wondered how Nick managed it all, but then thought _well he is nick_. She missed nick a lot since he had left even more so because of the crazy scalpel wielding locum that was running about the ED.

As Zoe headed towards resus she saw Sam and Tom arguing again

"Dr. Nichols could I have your helped with a patient?" Tom asked her, Sam started walking away, nowhere in particular just away from Tom, Zoe had no idea what was going on between them, it was so hot and cold, but it was putting a huge strain on the ED and she knew she'd end up having to speak to them about it to sort it, whatever _it_ was, out.

"I'm busy" Sam replied and headed towards CDU. Part of Zoe felt like laughing as she turned away from Sam, the look of annoyance on her face was priceless, _poor Tom_ she thought then realizing she had no idea what really happened so maybe she shouldn't feel sorry for him.

Zoe walked into resus just as Dixie was coming in with her patient starting the handover. Zoe listened thanked Dixie and asked the male called Connor

"I'm Dr. Hanna, I'll be looking after you today, where is the pain?" He pointed to his chest so she turned to Fletch and said "usual bloods and trauma series please, I'll be in my office when you have the results let me know of any problems." Zoe headed for the door and then added "Get another line in and hang another saline give him morphine if he's in a lot of pain"

"Of course Dr. Hanna" Fletch responded as he got to work. Zoe headed to her office and started on the paperwork which nearly bored her out of her mind, she much preferred actually treating patients.

Meanwhile in the staff room Sam was getting her things before the end of her shift

"Sam, do you want to go out tonight?" Tom asked as he entered the staff room desperate to catch Sam before she left, completely puzzled why she was ignoring him, he had no idea what he had done. Sam was still annoyed at Tom for flirting with the blonde in the pub the week before but was too stubborn to say. They were both to stubborn to tell the other how they really felt, everyone else around them knew how they felt, it was obvious, but they were oblivious.

"No, I'm going home." Sam replied and made her way for the door, Tom stepped into her path to try to stop her "what are you doing, move." She said and then pushed past him, making her way towards the exit.

As she went she decided she would watch a film and have a takeaway, '_love actually and pizza maybe'_ she decided as she headed towards outside and the cold air whipped around her as she walked home.

Zoe was in her office trying to get through the piles of paperwork when Charlie came in, "we need to talk, Ash"

"Yes, I know" Zoe agreed.

"But first I think you should get yourself into resus before he kills your patient"

Zoe looked up shocked and jumped out of her seat almost running if it weren't for the heels, nick would say they were inappropriate for work and honestly they probably were but she loved them anyway. "My patient wasn't even critical, a few broken ribs, he was stable" she said to Charlie as she entered resus to see the locum with a scalpel in hand about to cut open her patients chest.

"What the hell do you think you are doing!" She yelled at him.

"He has a tension pneumothorax" he replied unfazed.

"Are you sure, he was fine, a few broken ribs" Zoe questioned him.

"If you want me to be sure then you're going to have a dead patient" he said bitterly, the machines started beeping louder as if to illustrate his point.

"Fine, anything goes wrong it's on you" Zoe said taking her patients notes and reading it though, shocked she could have missed something, sure she hadn't nick Jordan the best CT surgeon you could ask for trained her, she hasn't missed anything and she knew it.

Ash cut into her patient's chest and inserted a chest tube, nothing came out and the patient's heart rate continued to increase, just when Zoe noticed that he must be having an allergic reaction and was in anaphylaxis shock.

"Get me adrenaline now" Zoe screamed as she went over to her patient. "Get out **now**, I'll speak to you later!" She yelled at ash and gowned up

Zoe administered the adrenaline and as she suspected the patient's rapid heart rate decreased and his blood pressure increased. She took out the chest drain and stitched up her patient. Zoe waited until Connor woke before leaving resus.

She asked Charlie into her office to have a word on the situation that arose with the locum.

"Charlie I'm sorry you have to do this, I know you are friends but you have to tell me what happened exactly" Zoe said, she felt rotten about doing this to Charlie. Charlie told her and she replied "you know this means I have to fire him don't you?"

"I know, of course, it wouldn't be responsible for you to let him stay" Charlie agreed.

Zoe got up from her desk and called ash into her office

"Zoe-

"It's Dr. Hanna to you, and if you don't mind I'll do the speaking." Zoe cut in.

"Your behavior today nearly cost a 25 year old man his life, you jumped to conclusions so you could have some scalpel action like you've been doing all day and it nearly killed a patient, your behavior has been erratic and irresponsible I cannot have a member of staff who I cannot trust."

"Dr Hanna, it was a mistake, I know, I'm sorry. It will never happen again, I was just trying to make a good impression." Ash argued.

"And that's exactly why you are fired, I can't be having show-offs in my ED, collect your things and I'll have security show you out." Zoe dismissed him, surprisingly he didn't argue back like she expected instead he just left.

"What are you going to do now, we need another locum?" Charlie asked Zoe just sighed and put her head on her desk, she heard the door to her office close quietly, and she looked up to see Charlie had left. She sat there for a minute or two then had a brain wave. She got out her phone and dialed a number, it rang she thought he wouldn't pick up but then his familiar voice answered on the other end

"Hello, Zoe is that you?"

"Dylan?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Zoe entered the cafe and looked around, she didn't expect him to come in all honesty, but in the corner of the cafe there he was sitting with a cup of tea in front of him. Zoe headed towards his table.

"Dylan, thank you for coming. How have you been?" Zoe asked him as she sat down opposite him.

"Good, uh can I get you a drink?" Dylan asked unsure.

"Coffee please." Zoe replied a tad shocked at his kindness, wondering where it had came from.

Dylan went and got Zoe and drink and then went back and sat at the table. "You said you had a problem, with work" Dylan prompted, obviously uncomfortable.

"Dylan I need you to come back, Nick has left, and I fired the locum in the middle of his first shift, I'm two consultants down and I...I miss you"

"I can't come back, I'm sorry about your situation but no." Dylan answered firmly. Dylan got up to leave

"No don't go please at least stay to finish your drink and catch up," Dylan didn't look convinced "please?" Zoe added.

Dylan sat back down. Zoe said "I really have missed you, everyone has really. And I really need a friend right now" Dylan looked at Zoe bewildered.

"I've missed you to Zoe but I can't go back, not if Sam is still there." Dylan said, even thinking about Sam caused his heart to ache, he missed her so much and wished things hadn't ended between them, _seriously get over it, she's with Tom now_, he thought to himself. "How...how is Sam?"

"Sam er yeah she's fine" Zoe didn't really know how much to say, it wasn't really her business to tell but thought,_ it could help, he might come back if I tell him._ "Well honestly, things between her and Tom aren't good, they argue the whole time, the whole department seems to be being dragged into it, I don't know what happened, you know Sam, she keeps herself to herself most of the time but anyway, I think she is okay" Zoe answered, Dylan was looking down, digesting this new information on his ex wife.

"Dylan I'm clinical lead, I could make sure you are never on the same shift as her and Tom and... And you could always work in CDU and and"

"Zoe please, I just..." Dylan started and then gave up, they sat in silence for a little while well Dylan thought about things.

"Good morning" Tom said as he entered the staff room where Sam was getting ready for her shift, she sighed and picked up her yellow stethoscope and made her way towards the ed. "why are you ignoring me Sam" Tom asked.

"Just, it's was nothing, move on already and stop talking to me" Sam shouted and then slammed the door behind her. She moved straight to resus and took over the care of a 9 year old girl called Sophie who had collapsed and then hit her head according to the mother, Sam was skeptical though.

"Lloyd, can you ask Tom to look at Sophie please, tell him I think the mother may be abusive but I need his opinion." Sam said after deciding she wouldn't talk to Tom herself, she knew she would end up saying things she didn't want him to know.

Sam went and found another patient to treat in the meantime, an old man who needed stitches to a laceration in his arm from a piece of glass. It was quick and simple. When she was half way through stitching Lloyd entered,

"Dr Nichols could I have a word please" Sam stopped what she was doing and said to the old man "excuse me, I'll just be a minute" she excused herself and went out the cubicle after Lloyd.

"What did Dr Kent say?" Sam asked.

"He thinks your right about the mother and said he will call social services an take over if that's okay with you?" Lloyd relayed. Sam considered it for a second and felt like he was saying she was better than him.

"That's fine, thank you Lloyd" Sam answered and went back to stitching up the old man.

A little while later the phone rang it was Dixie and Jeff saying they needed a doctor with them. Sam volunteered to go even though it wasn't abseiling she wanted to get out of the ED.

Sam arrived at the block of flats and got to the top floor where the patient in cardiac arrest was. With help from Dixie and Jeff she managed to stabilize the young woman who had appeared to have overdosed. Jeff an Dixie got her ready to be transferred to the ED and then they headed for the stairs. On the way down Sam tripped and fell down a flight of stairs.

"Call an ambulance now!" Dixie yelled at Jeff, they got their patient into the ambulance and then went back to Sam.

"Sam can you here me, it's Dixie?" Dixie then yelled at Jeff "she's unconscious" just then Sam's eyes flickered open

"Ow, what, er what happened?" Sam looked dazed. They other ambulance arrived and took Sam back to the ed, she had woken up a lot by then and made on of the paramedics drive her car back to the ED.

"I don't need to go to hospital, I fell and I'm fine! I'm a doctor I would know if something was wrong!" Sam yelled at the paramedic on the way back to the ED. Sam knew she would never live down the embarrassment of it.

Sam got wheeled into resus, the paramedic thought it was best as she lost consciousness.

"This is Samantha Nichols, 28, fell down the stairs and lost consciousness, possible concussion." The paramedic handed over, to Tom.

"Well what do we have here?" Tom replied grinning, enjoying the fact he could now annoy Sam.

"Go away, I don't need a doctor, i need to go home." Sam shouted at him.

"I think I'll be the judge of that Dr Nichols" he said enjoying the moment. At the point Linda walked in to see Sam laying on the bed.

"Sam are you okay? What happened?" Linda asked concerned

"I'm fine, I fell. I need to go home" Sam told her Tom shook his head

"No she needed to stay her under observation, she lost consciousness. Where is Zoe? I need a hand in here?" Tom said to Linda.

Linda left resus and called Zoe, "Where are you? Your needed. Sam fell and is in resus and Tom needs a hand." Linda said once the phone had picked up.

"What do you mean Sam fell? Is she okay? I'll be back as soon as I can" Zoe said.

"Tom wants to keep her under observation, she lost consciousness but she says she's fine" Linda replied.

"I'll be there in ten minutes" Zoe answered and put down the phone.

"What's happened?" Dylan asked concerned.

"Sounds like Sam fell, nothing to serious but I really need to go we're down 3 doctors now, I need to help" Zoe said to Dylan hoping he would change his mind.

"I'll come with you." Dylan agreed reluctantly. He just needed to know Sam was okay.


	3. Chapter 3

Dylan joined Zoe in her car

"Do you really want me to stay?" Dylan asked as Zoe was starting her car, took by surprise she turned to look at him, forgetting how close he was to her in her mini and instantly leaning away, surprised he didn't do the same thing, after gathering her thoughts Zoe answered

"I wasn't lying, I do miss you and I could do with a friend now that Nick is gone, plus I really do need a consultant, Charlie is going to be so mad with me for firing the locum and not having a backup plan."

Dylan sat there the rest of the car journey and just as Zoe pulled up outside the ED he said

"I'll stay, temporarily, until you have someone else, okay?" He asked

"Thank you so much Dylan!" Zoe nearly shouted with happiness and quickly kissed him on the cheek, pulling away and getting out of the car the second she realized what she was doing. Dylan climbed out of the car too, not really knowing what he was doing until he walked into the ED and greeted by Lloyd and Big Macs "Dr Keogh, it's good to see you! Are you coming back? That locum was crazy!" Dylan just huffed and walked past after Zoe.

"Zoe wait, where do you want me?"

"Oh, um could you just deal with cubicles and CDU for now I'm sure you can manage on your own for a little while" Zoe replied as she walked into resus.

"Sam, what the hell happened?" Zoe demanded as she walked over to her taking he chart from Tom, his face falling as he realized Sam would now insist on someone else treating her an then he couldn't talk to her. Zoe noted this and made a mental note to ask them both what was going on later, separately, she thought.

"Nothing I just fell, I'm fine. I should probably go home to bed though."

"You lost consciousness." Zoe stated reading her notes.

"Only for a minute." Sam countered, hoping that Tom wouldn't kick up a fuss about it.

"Can I look at you head please?" Zoe asked as she pulled on a pair of examination gloves. Sam indicated for her to go ahead. Zoe walked over and started moving her hair looking for a bump. Sam kept still until Zoe prodded the left side of her head at which she jumped from the pain and her careful it doesn't hurt façade was broken, Tom saw this and a huge smile came across his face knowing that Zoe would keep her in.

"Painful?" Tom asked teasingly.

"Shut up, why don't you go find someone else to play with!" Sam snapped at him, wincing again from shouting.

"Maybe it's best i take over Sam's care" Zoe said to Tom calmly. "I just want to keep you in for a little while, after all you live all by yourself and you should have someone keep an eye on you for a little while" Sam started to glare at Zoe, "hey, that's not fair, you know there the rules when someone has concussion, I'll send you for a CT just to be on the safe side but other than that I'll move you to CDU so you can have some quite."

"Fine." Sam excepted knowing it made no difference how difficult she was, Zoe would still keep her in.

"Linda, give Sam some paracetamol please, I think she has a bit of a headache." Zoe smiled tentatively at Sam and walked out of resus, not wanting to receive the same glare she had previously dealt Tom

First Zoe went to find Tom and ask him what was going on, as she walked towards the staff room he spotted him talking with Dylan, _welcoming him back by the look of things, that's good_, she thought, Dylan didn't look too impressed and part of her felt guilty for asking him back, and then Dylan look in her direction and she looked away, afraid of him catching her staring, and heat rose into her cheeks.

"Tom a word please, in my office." She gestured for him to follow her, the rest of the ED looked surprised, probably because Zoe's tone sounded full or authority, as if Tom was going to be yelled at for something, she didn't want it to come out that way but Dylan had made her feel flustered, _urgh_, she thought, _this is so annoying_, as she blushed further and Dylan looked amused at this across the room from her.

Once inside her office Zoe sat down at her desk and Tom sat opposite her, looking concerned.

"What is going on with you and Sam?" Zoe asked bluntly, she couldn't see any reason for going all round the houses with it, at the end of the day it was disrupting the running of the ED so she had a business to know what was going on. Tom was taken aback.

"I'm sorry Zoe, we should be more professional about it." Tom admitted to Zoe.

"Yes, you should. It makes running an ED a lot harder when your colleagues behave with each other on extremes the whole department doesn't say anything because one day your the best of friends the next your giving each other death glares. What exactly is it?"

Tom sat there, obviously in a state emotional turmoil, on the one hand he just really want to tell Sam how he felt but he was just so worried about what she would say, _make a joke of it, tell him to get over it_, he thought of the possibilities. And of all of this he didn't really know how much to say to Zoe, she was his boss after all.

"I like her okay, and I don't think she likes me!" Tom conceded as Zoe's intense glare of authority got to him.

"Seriously?" Zoe asked, and then burst into laughter.

"It's not funny! I'm being serious!" Tom shouted, annoyed that she found his serious internal dilemma funny.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. It's just if you could see how, well your not a girl I guess you wouldn't understand." Zoe calmed herself and became serious. "Please though, for the sake of my department go talk to her," he made no move, "I'm serious, this is the only time I will ever turn a blind eye to any member of staff harassing a patient."

Tom got up and walked out of the office to find Sam. Dylan waited by the office door, "Can I have a word?" He asked politely from the door. Zoe looked up shocked to find him standing there.


	4. Chapter 4

"Of course, come in?" Zoe said, coming out more of a question than the statement which she had intended, ever since the car she had felt nervous around him, _get a grip for god sake, it's Dylan, he's no more interested in you than you are in him, oh scrap that, that was not meant to sound like that, _she thought and then deliberately smiled aware that she was probably pulling a face at her internal argument.

"Is everything okay?" Zoe asked concerned about why he wanted to talk with her. Dylan sat down in the seat that Tom had just left across the desk from Zoe.

"I have a patient in CDU that's asking for you, personally."

"Right thanks Dylan" Zoe said and started getting up, wondering who it could be.

"Um how's Sam?" Dylan asked nervously as Zoe opened the door to leave.

"Oh yeah, I sent her for a head CT to be on the safe side but I think it's just concussion. She's coming to CDU after to get some quite, is that okay?" Zoe suddenly remembered that Dylan might not have wanted to have seen his ex-wife let alone take over her care.

"Yeah fine" Dylan acknowledged and walked past back to CDU.

Tom found Sam coming out of resus and it took all of his self-control not to laugh at the expression on Sam's knowing it would not help him when trying to talk to her.

"Where's she going?" Tom asked Linda as Big Mac wheeled Sam past.

"CT, Zoe just wanted to be on the safe side, it's nothing to worry about. She'll be moved to CDU after though." Linda informed him when he looked concerned.

"I'll just come with her then." Tom replied walking off after Sam. He waited outside CT while she had her scan and smiled at her when she came out, Sam still looked annoyed but at least she wasn't glaring at him anymore. Tom went with her and didn't say anything. Just as they walked into CDU Sam said to Linda.

"Linda, I think I'm seeing things." Sam said suddenly concerned.

"What? Why? What can you see? I'll get Zoe!" Linda said panicked, then noticing that Sam was staring at Dylan's back, "oh no Sam, you're not seeing things, Dylan's back. Zoe went to get him this morning, you know after firing the locum."

"Why did he do that?" Sam asked utterly confused, it probably didn't help that she had a pounding headache which meant that processing information seemed like an impossible task to her right now.

"I don't know, I'll get someone to look at your scan, I'll be back soon." Linda said squeezing Sam's hand then walking away towards Dylan.

"How are you feeling?" Tom asked her, Sam hadn't even realized he was still here, _why hasn't he got the message that she didn't want to talk to him?_ She wondered, _well that isn't true_, she thought she just didn't want to talk to him because then she's end up making a complete fool of herself, he obviously didn't feel the same way about her, if he did why would he flirt with other girls in front of her. "Sam are you okay?" Tom asked again, making Sam realize she had never answered his question, to preoccupied with her thoughts.

"Yeah, my head hurts a little, it's nothing I just need to go home and sleep it off that's all." Sam answered "Zoe will never let me go though, do you think maybe you could discharge me?" Sam asked pleadingly.

"No, he won't, that would irresponsible Sam, anyway, you don't need to worry about Zoe discharging you, she handed your care to me, now, where does it hurt?" Dylan said, he had approached without her realizing. _Damn it_, she thought, _I'm never getting out now Dylan will keep me in just to annoy me, urgh._

"It's fine." Sam said bluntly.

"Sam, you just said it was hurting. When Zoe touched the left side of her head it hurt before." Tom informed Dylan, which earned him one of Sam's glares. Dylan carefully prodded the left side of her head and she winced again.

"Right well you definitely have concussion so unless you live with someone else," Dylan paused looking at Tom, then turning back he continued "you'll be kept in for the next 24 hours. You scan is clear. If you need painkillers just ask. And no one will discharge you until then. And stay in bed, you don't need any more injuries." Dylan smiled and walked away.

"Hey!" Dylan turned back to Sam who had just shouted at him "So what, that's it? You're not even going to say hi? Can't we just be civil, if you're going to be working here again we need to be able to get along." Sam said, annoyed at the way he had treated her, she knew he probably hurt, _but still, couldn't he just be nice,_ she thought.

"Hi Sam, how are you? Keeping well? Good to see you and Tom are still good? Has she cheated on you yet?" Turning to Tom, becoming sarcastic.

"Dylan! Forget I said anything. And just so you know, Tom and I aren't together, he's the one who would cheat, not me!" She yelled at him.

"You think I cheated on you?" Tom asked taken aback, understanding suddenly why she behaved the way she did in the staff room that morning. Dylan stormed off and Sam lay back down on the bed. Tom pulled the curtain around the bed so she could have some privacy.

"So?" Tom asked again, needing up know the answer, praying that it was yes so he could explain, hoping that maybe he was wrong and maybe she did feel the same way about that he did about her.

"Does it even matter? Did you not hear what I said this morning? Move on, stop harassing me!" She said this a little louder hoping she would get someone's attention and security would carry him out.

"Yes it does matter, because if you think that I would, _that I could_ do that to you, then you're wrong. I haven't and I wouldn't, ever." Tom said, taking a seat on her bed. Sam stayed silent staring up at the ceiling, it wasn't as hard as usual to imagine patterns into it with her concussed brain. "Sam, please." Sam looked up at him, she knew he would probably just wait there until she answered him anyway so by answering now he would go quicker, but that meant she had to keep hold of her emotions so she didn't say something she didn't want him knowing.

"Fine, yes I thought you'd slept with the blonde from the bar last week, what does it matter I'm not your girlfriend." Sam said turning away, wanting to be left alone so she could sleep, the pounding in her head was getting worse but no way was she going to give Dylan the satisfaction in giving her painkillers.

"Well if it didn't matter why would you be ignoring me?" Sam didn't answer Tom she just lay there, hoping he would leave her in peace. "Can I explain then?" Sam still didn't answer but moved a bit in the bed trying to get more comfortable in Tom was going to start talking at her.

"I thought you didn't like me Sam. Even before you started yelling it at me, when Dylan was still here and we would come to work together in the morning. I thought you thought it was just a fling. I flirted with other girls because I didn't want to become attached to someone who thought it was just a bit of fun because I didn't want to end up hurt." Sam lay there absorbing this new information, thinking, how ironic is it that she thought he thought the same thing, she almost laughed at it but knew it would hurt her head to much to laugh, and probably upset Tom. Tom got up off the bed and started walking away thinking that Sam was going to continue ignoring him no matter what he said, as Sam realised he was moving she turned around

"Wait, Tom." Tom turned to look at her, "please?" Sam said gesturing for him to come back. Tom went back and sat on the bed and Sam reached for his hand, then paused taking it back. Tom noticing this, took her hand.

"I'm sorry, about how I behaved" Sam explained.

"What? I-"

"I thought you didn't like me, that I was just a fling, I..I just thought that you didn't like me so I was getting out before I could get hurt." Sam explained looking away, feeling embarrassed and stupid.

"Sam..." Tom started.

"Um my head, it hurts could you get me some more painkillers? And not tell Dylan?" Sam interrupted.

"I'll see what I can do." Tom replied standing up and walking out of the cubical, looking back at Sam as he left.


End file.
